Feed-water heater for steam-generators



(No Model.)

0. H. FISH. I FEED WATER HEATER FOR STEAM GENERATORS.

Patented Oct. 14, 1890.

CHARLES H. FISH, OF MANCHESTER, NElV HAMPSHIRE.

FEED-WATER HEATER FOR STEAM- GENERATQRS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,267, dated October 14, 1890. Application filed May 16, 1890- Serial No. 352,006. (No model.)

To whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. FISH, of Manchester, county of Hillsborough, State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Fuel-Economizers or Feedater Heaters for Steam-Generators, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, liket letters on the drawings representing like par s.

My invention relates to a fuel-economizer of that class in which the feed-water is caused to circulate through pipes in the smoke-flue, so as to become heated by the products of combustion surrounding the said pipes.

In apparatus of this kind as heretofore generally made the circulating-pipes occupy or are distributed throughout practically the entire sectional area of the flue, and as they re quire frequent cleaning it is necessary to let the fires go out in order that the flue may be opened to afford access to the circulatingpipes for cleaning the same, or complicated and expensive mechanism is employed to keep the pipes clean while the furnace is in operation.

The object of the present invention is to produce an economizer in which the circulating-pipes can be cleaned while the fires are burning; and the invention consists mainly in a smoke-flue having a main passage containing the circulating-pipes and an auxiliary passage, and valves or slides by which the said main and auxiliary passages may be opened and closed as required, the said auxiliary passage being normally closed in the working of the apparatus, so that the products of combustion are caused to pass through the main passage and heat the circulating-pipes contained therein; but when it is necessary to clean the surface of said pipes, the main passage is closed and the auxiliary passage opened and employed to carry the products of combustion, while access is had to the circulating-pipes in the main passage for the purpose of cleaning them.

As the cleaning operation may be usually performed when the fires are banked or the boilers not working, a comparatively small auxiliary passage will answer to convey the products of combustion from the slow-burning fires, so that the entire flue need not be of much greater dimensions than those of usual construction. I

Figure 1 is a plan view of a smoke-flue and economizer embodying this'invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section on line 00 m, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a transverse vertical section on line yy, Fig. 1.

The invention is shown as applied to a smoke-flue a, by which the products of combustion are conveyed from one or more boilers h to the usual chimney or uptake 0. The portion of the flue that is to contain. the circulating-pipes d for heating the feed-water from the products of combustion, and thus effecting a saving in fuel, is divided by a partition e, forming a main passage f, which con tains the circulating-pipes d, and an auxiliary passage 9, which extends from the portion communicating directly with the boilers b to the portion communicating directly with the uptake 0.

The main and auxiliary passages are provided at their ends with valves or gates h h 2' which may be used to close the said pas sages, so as to prevent the flow of the products of combustion through them. In the normal working of the apparatus the valves 1' i of the auxiliary passage are closed, so that the products of combustion cannot flow through the said auxiliary passage, and the valves h 71 of the main passage are opened, (see Fig. 4,) so that the products of combustion pass through the said passage and heat the water flowing through the pipes therein. \Vhen, however, it is desired to free the surface of the circulating-pipes from soot and dust that collect thereon, the valves h h of the main passage are closed and the valves to? of the auxiliary passage are opened, when the products of combustion will pass through the said auxiliary passage, so that the fires will be kept burning, and the side of the main passage, which is provided with a suitable door m, will be opened, as shown in Fig. 2, affording access to the pipes, which can be thus thoroughly cleaned without putting out the fires. Such cleaning operation will be usually performed when the boilers are not working, but while the fires are banked, and at such times a comparatively small auxiliary passage is sufficient to carry the products of combustion and thus enable the cleaning op- ICO eration to be performed Without actually extinguishing the fires, as would be necessary unless such passage were provided, thus ofgecting a considerable saving in labor and WVhile the passages have been herein re ferred to as the main and auxiliary passages and the apparatus has been described as normally working with the main passage open and the auxiliary passage closed, it is obvious that it is essential only that there should be two passages, or that the flue should be divided by a longitudinal partition, and that either one of said passages should be sufficient to maintain combustion of the fires, While the other is closed to the products of combustion, so that access may be had to its interior.

The construction shown, in which the auxiliary passage contains no circulating-pipes and is normally closed, is believed to be the simplest and least expensive and is very efiicient in operation.

I claim- A smoke-flue having two passages each capable of carrying the products of combustion from the fires, combined with valves controlling the flow of gases through said passages, whereby one of said passages may be closed to prevent the flow of gases theret-hrough While the other is open to permit the flow of gases and thereby maintain combustion, thus enabling access to be had to the closed passage Without extinguishing the fires, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. FISH.

\Vitnesses:

M. E. HILL, Jos. P. LIVERMORE. 

